Buoy.



J. M. FRANCIS.

BUOY.

APPLICATION FILED Amma. 1914.

1, 1 1 9,817., Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

J. M. FRANCIS.

BUOY.

APPLICATION FILED APB. xa, 1914 Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

2 SHEETS-BEEET 2.

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y To all whom it may concern JOSEPH M. FRANCIS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODEISLAND.

BUOY.

Specification of Letters Patent. y l l Patented Dec. e, 1914..

Application `filed April 18, 1914. Serial No. 832,845.`

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. FRANCIS, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Buoys; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to buoys and more particularly to a buoyapplicable for attachment to a vessel for floating release therefromwhen the vessel sinks, to indicate the location of the vessel.

` The primary object of this invention is the provision of a buoy asspecified, which is composed of a plurality of buoyant sectionsconnected by flexible members, which sections are releasable forfloating, from the vessel when the latter sinks, and the buoyantsections constitute separate buoys which are connected to the one nextthereto by a cable or other suitable flexible member for floating atvarious depths in the water, the uppermost of which sections carryingsuitable signaling means for attracting attention to the buoy. l

Ancther object of this invention is the provision of a novel mean:l forlocking the various buoyant sections in engagement with the one nextthereto, which locking means are releasable when the sections reachtheir Heating limit for permitting the next section to float upwardly,thereby forming a chain of buoys leading from the sunken ves-` sel tothe surface of the waler.

With the roregolnf and other objects in viev. this invention consistsyin such novel features y of a construction, combination and arrangementof parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detailreference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designatelike or corresponding `parts throughout the several views, and in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved buoy showing the variousbuoyant sections connected together, as the buoy is attached to avessel. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view through a part of thelowermost sections of the buoy and the support or retaineil whichismounted upon the vessel deck, showing the `buoyant compartmentsdisconnected for floating release one from the other, and showing theuppermost buoyant section in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a cross sectionalview on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. FigJl is a detail elevation of the upperportion `of the uppermost of the buoyant sections. Fig. 5 is a detailview of the locking means for holding the uppermost buoyant sections inengagement with the one next thereto, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of thelocking mechanism for holding the other of said sections connected.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates thebase orsupport of the buoy, which has annular arcuate flanges formed upon itslower end, and which is attached to the deck or side of a vessel in anysuitable manner. The base or support 1 is cylindrical shaped and it hasa cable or flexible member 2 securely connected thereto, which cable isin turn connected to the base 3 of the section L1 of the buoy. When thebuoy is positionedas is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cable 2 iscoiled within the interior of the cylindrical base 1, and the annularflange 5 which is formed upon the compartment 4 near the lower end ofthe same, rests upon the annular flange 6 which is formed upon the upperterminal end of the cylindrical base 1.

'lhesecticn i of the buoy is divided into a plurality of compartments,one of which is hermetically scaled, for rendering the section 4:buoyant, and the other com partinent 'T is provided for the retaining ofa cable or flexible member 8, which is connected to the base 9 of thecompartment in any suitable manner, and to the partition 10, whichpartition is formed in the section 11.

The section 11 ofthe buoy, like the section 4, is divided intocompartments, one of which is hermetically sealed for rendering thesection buoyant, and the other of which is provided for the retaining ofa flexible member or cable 12.` IThe cable 12 is connected to a bailmember 13, which bail member is connected at its ends,-to rods 1-1 and15, which rods are slidably mounted in brackets 1G carried by thesection 11, `and extend longitudinally along the vertical sides of lthesame, being connected at their lower ends to links 17. The links 17 arein turn connected to arms 1S of the locking members 19. The lockingmembers 19 are pivotally connected to bracketsQO, which brackets aresecured to the outer surface of the sections 11, substantiallyequidistant from its ends as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

rlhe arms 18 of the locking member 19 have arcuate arms 21 connectedthereto, which arcuate arms engage the upper end of the lever 22, whenthe sections 11 and 4 are connected as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. The levers 22 `are pivotally carried by gears 23, which areconnected to the outer surface of the section 4, and the levers haveprojections 24 formed thereupon intermediate their ends, whichprojections engage the upper surface of the annular flange 25. Theannular iiange 25 is formed upon the compartment 11 near the lower endthereof, and when the sections 11 and 4 are connected or in engagementwith each other, the flange 25 rests upon the upper marginal edge of thecompartment 4. The section 4 has plates 26 secured thereto andprojecting upwardly from the upper end of the section, which plates areprovided with recesses for the reception of the guiding pins 27 whichare carried by the compartment 11.

The section 11 has an internal annular flange 30 formed near its upperend, upon the upper side of which rests the flange 31, which liange isformed upon the lower depending ballasted portion 32 of the buoyantsection 33. The portion 32 of the buoyant section 33 has any suitabletype of material mounted in the lower end of the same, for ballastingthe section 33 to hold it in a vertical position while iioating uponwater. The section 11 has angle irons 34 secured to the outer surfacethereof. near its upper end, which angle irons are disposeddiametrically opposite each other upon the surface of the section 11 andhave their horizontal parts positioned upwardly and projectingtransversely from the sides of the section 11 as is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Levers 35, which have buoyant balls 36 secured totheir outer ends, are pivotally con nected to brackets 37, whichbrackets are in turn secured to the flange 31 in any suitable manner.The inner ends ot' the arms 35, have recesses 38 formed therein, whichrecesses receive the outer edges of the horizontal arms of the anglemembers 34, for holding the buoyant section 33 connected to the buoyantsection 11, when the various sections are connected as shown in F ig. 1of the drawings.

The buoyant section 33 is divided into a plurality of compartments, thelower one oli' which is hermetically sealed for rendering the sectionbuoyant, while the upper compartment is a container for combustible orvolatile liquid such as kerosene or the like, and the compartment has aburner 40 com- Inuncating therewith, in the usual manner, and having anysuitable type of capillary means for feeding the combustible or volatiletions of the bracket, directly above the upper end of the protectiveshade 41.

In the operation of the improved signal'- ing buoy as heretoforedescribed, the buoy is attached to the deck of a vessel to one side ofthe boat, so that in case the vessel sinks, the compartments 4, 11 and33 will float free from the base or retainer 1 and when the sectionshave reached the limit of the cable 2, the section 4 will be restrainedfrom rising to a higher elevation or a greater distance from the vesseland the restraining of the upward movement of the section 4, will causethe buoyancy of the balls 36 carried upon the arms 35 to act, moving thelevers 35 upwardly, and causing the transverse arms of the angle members34 to be free from engagement with the recesses 38 formed in the ends ofthe arms, and this willl release the buoyant section 33 from connectionwith the section 11, per

mitting the section 33 to ioat upwardly until the limit of the cable 12has been reached, when the buoyancy of the section 33 will pull upon thebail member 13, causing the latter to actuate the rods 14 for moving thearcuate arms 21 of the locking members 19 out of engagement with theupper terminal ends ot the levers 22, after which the levers will falldownwardly, releasing the projections 24 thereon Jfrom engagement withthe iange 25 and permitting the sectionvll to lioat Jfree from thesection 4 until the limit of the cable 8 has been reached, in thismanner approximately the depth of water in which the vessel-has sunkmaybe determined, owing to the number of the sections which arefloating. The rocking of the section 33 by the waves will ring the bell43 causing the same to sound an alarm, and when the light is ignited,the smoke therefrom will further attract attention to the buoy in daytime, while the rays of light generated by the ignition of thecombustible fuel will attract attention thereto at night,

acquainting persons of the location of they dium of the telephone ortelegraph, or sig-i naling mechanism.

If it is so desired, a buoyconstructed in accordance with the drawingsand description heretofore set forth, may be attached to `the side of asubmarine vessel, and the re-` leasingofthe buoy be controlled bysuitable leverage mechanism (not shown) which is controllable from theinterior of the submarine, so that in cases where the submarine wasincapacitated beneath the Water, the buoy might be released for carirying a distress signal to ships or vessels sailing uponthe surtace otthe water.

From the foregoing description, takenin` connection with theaccompanying drawlngs, the advantages ofthe construction and of themethod of operatlon of the improved buoy will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the artto which this invention appertains and, while inthe foregoing description the principle of the operation has beendescribed, together with various features of construction, it is to beunderstood that certain minor features of construction, combination, andarrangement of parts may be altered to suit `practical conditions,provided such alterations are comprehended within the scope of what isclaimed.

lfVhat I claim is l. In a signaling buoy, a plurality of buoyantcompartments arranged in alinement with each other and connected to theone next thereto for floating release therefrom at predetermined times,and a cable connecting the` lowermost of said buoyant sections to avessel.

2. In a signaling buoy, a plurality of buoyant compartments connectedtogether Copies otithis patent may `be obtained for ve cents each. byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,`

by lengths of cable, means for holding said buoyant compartments indirect connection with each other releasable by buoyancy of variouscompartments.

3. In a signaling buoy, a plurality of buoyant compartments connectedtogether by lengths of cable, means for holding said buoyantcompartments in direct connection with each other releasable by buoyancyof various compartments, and signaling means carried by the uppermost ofsaid buoyant compartments.

4. In a signalingbuoy, a plurality of buoyant sections connected bycables to each other, arms pivotally connected to one of said sectionsand having buoyant. members formed upon their outer terminal ends, the

inner end of said arms engaging the angle` brackets carried by another`ol' said sections for holding two buoyant sections connected untilreleased by the upward movement of said arms by the buoyant memberscarried by their outer ends for releasing said compartments for separatefloating.

5. In a signaling buoy, a plurality of buoyant sections connected bycables to each` other, arms pivotally connected to one of said sectionsand having buoyant members formed upon their outer terminal ends, theinner end of said arms engaging the angle brackets carried by another ofsaid sections for holding two buoyant sections connected until releasedby the upward movement of said arms by the buoyant members carried bytheir outer ends for releasing said com- `partmentsfor separatefloating, signaling means carried by the uppermost of said compartments,and a cable connecting the lowcrmost of said compartments to a vessel.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence o two witnesses.

` JOSEPH M. FRANCIS;

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. GLADHILL, THOMAS I. HOGAN.

Washington, D. CJ. a

